Put Thursday to Saturday, October 24-26, 2019 on your calendar, as the Local Independent Online News Publishers announces a new venue for its annual conference, this year in Music City in Nashville, Tenn.

“This is the first time that our annual summit has been outside of Chicago – the city where we were founded,” said Kelly Gilfillan, publisher at F W Publishing and chair of the LION Board of Directors. “We are excited to move this year’s meeting to Nashville’s Music City Center, where attendees can experience a dynamic conference program and also enjoy the best Nashville has to offer – from amazing live music on every corner, to fabulous food and drink, to close by art and music museums.”

With more than 100 new restaurants and bars added in 2017 alone, plus myriad attractions that include the Nashville Studio Tour and the Frist Art Museum—it’s no wonder that Nashville was named “The Hottest Travel Destination of 2018.”

Lodging has already been secured for those who want to start making their travel plans. LION Publishers has arranged for blocks of rooms for Oct. 24-26 at two locations: the Cambria Nashville Downtown, just a block from Music City Center, at a special discounted rate of $249 for single and double rooms. Guests can either call the reservations number at (800) 424-6423 and request the rate for Lion Publishers, mention “LION Group” or use link below: 

https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/bl92r2?checkInDate=2019-10-24&checkOutDate=2019-10-27&ratePlanCode=BTDDBU

The deadline for obtaining that rate is September 27, 2019, but the block of rooms will be filled up by then, so act soon. The group rate will be honored up to 3 days before and after the conference, for those who wish to spend some extra time in Nashville. If you wish to book additional dates outside of the three day LION Summit window, please do so directly by calling Rick Rodriguez, Cambria Group Sales Manager, at (615) 515-5807.

Nearby accommodations are also available at the Comfort Inn, 1501 Demonbreun St, Nashville, TN 37203, six blocks from the conference venue at a group rate of $199 per room. Please ask for the LION Publishers group at (615) 356-0888.

There is another group block at the Quality Inn Nashville Downtown Stadium, 303 Interstate Dr, Nashville, TN 37213, with a rate of $149 per room. You can book rooms online or by calling (615) 244-6690 and asking for the LION Publishers group rate.

Schedule

In addition to an array of speakers, workshops and panel discussions, we promise plenty of good food and drink — a light lunch on Thursday, reception with a light dinner and drinks Thursday evening, continental breakfast and lunch buffet on Friday and Saturday, as well as a reception with light food and drinks on Friday night. We'll also organize a few ventures out on the town for those who aren't familiar with Nashville.

The organization’s gathering in Nashville will be an opportunity for people who are in the business of local journalism or care about its future to discuss common issues and problems, share success stories and encourage the founding of new local news sites. Each event will feature an informative slate of speakers, workshops and panels on topics relating to local publishing, covering real-world strategies for revenue, hands-on technology demonstrations, effective reporting tips, and experts speaking on business and legal issues.

Previous LION gatherings have been an excellent source of information and networking for journalists who have recently launched their own local news sites or are considering it. With a wide diversity of membership, and some publishers who have been in operation for over a decade, LION brings together the best business and reporting minds in local online news.

Accommodations

Check the conference website for the latest updates on hotel rooms.

If you're looking for a roommate for the weekend, check the Roommate Roster.

Sponsors

Questions about becoming a sponsor of the LION Summit can be directed to Programming Director Mark Glaser at markglaser@lionpublishers.com